Method and System of real time delivery of Aroma
The present invention is a device that provides aroma sensory information while viewing a program from a multimedia device. The aroma signals are merged in real-time with the video and sound signals into a novel encoded digital stream. The aroma scents are stored in the device and are activated by the novel digital stream broadcast signal. Once activated, the scents are dispersed into the viewing room.
This patent claims the benefit of application Ser. No. 13/937,093
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is in the field of multimedia devices. It provides for the delivery of aroma sensory information to a user of a multimedia device including but not limited to TV, monitors, computers, cell phones, or gaming consoles.
BACKGROUNDCurrently, multimedia devices such as television can transmit visual and audio sensory information to a user. Since the 1960s, the concept of transmitting aroma sensory information with the images has been investigated within theme parks. However, the difficulty of transmitting the vast amounts of scents that accompany a film has slowed the progress of such technology. The present invention provides a method to emit scents in real time to a viewer of a broadcasted or recorded program.
SUMMARYThe present invention provides a device and method for local delivery of stored aroma sensory information to the viewer of a program through a multimedia device. The device comprises a housing unit that contains a plurality of scents that are emitted in real time as a viewer watches a broadcasted or pre-recorded program. The recording of the emitted scents to be dispersed are integrated into the video filming process. When the audio and visual signals are transmitted, the aroma signals are incorporated into the broadcast signal. The signal is received by a converter which delivers the signal to a retrieval system that releases the scent. The plurality of scents are stored in an aroma chamber. The housing unit is in electronic communication with the multi-media so that it can receive electronic signals from the converter.
The features of the present invention will best be understood from a detailed description of the invention and a preferred embodiment thereof selected for the purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which.
The features and advantages of the present invention are illustrated in detail in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the drawings.
Referring to
The e-nose (34) in
Generally, the time consuming part of the process is the training of the sensor array used to capture the aroma vapors. Once trained e-nose (34) performance is governed by the speed of the chemical sensors and it has the capability to process new smells quickly.
The pattern-recognizer compares the pattern of the measurements from the sensor array to stored patterns for known various aromas. The process of generating digital stream is created using a computer having a processor that is programmed to create the digital stream from the captured measurement pattern generated from the e-nose (34). The chemical sensors of the e-nose is in electronic communication with a processor that generates a measurement pattern. This measurement pattern is utilized to create a digital stream that is represented within a novel protocol transmission format.
After the pattern recognition process, the aroma information may be encoded into a bit stream format and encoded into electrical signals for transmission as shown in
As shown in
MPEG standardizes the protocol and syntax under which it is possible to combine or multiplex audio data with video data to produce a digital equivalent of a television program. Many such programs can be multiplexed and MPEG defines the way such multiplexes can be created and transported. The definitions include the metadata used by decoders to demultiplex correctly.
In the present invention, MPEG is expanded to include aroma signal data streams. The encoder (37) and decoder (50) have a processor programmed to encode merged video, sound and aroma data stream into a proprietary data code as shown in
In the US, generally multiple MPEG programs are combined then sent to a transmitting antenna and an ATSC receiver then decodes the digital stream and displays it.
The digital stream comprises a transport stream that is normally processed by the delivery (52) and retrieval system (54) depicted in
A packet is the basic unit of data in a transport stream. It starts with a sync byte and a header. Additional optional transport fields, as signaled in the optional adaptation field, may follow. The rest of the packet consists of payload. Packets are 188 bytes in length, but the communication medium may add some error correction bytes to the packet. ISDB-T and DVB-T/C/S uses 204 bytes and ATSC 8-VSB, 208 bytes as the size of emission packets (transport stream packet+FEC data). ATSC transmission adds 20 bytes of Reed-Solomon forward error correction to create a packet that is 208 bytes long.
Each table or elementary stream in a transport stream is identified by a 13-bit packet ID (PID). A demultiplexer extracts elementary streams from the transport stream in part by looking for packets identified by the same PID. In most applications, Time-division multiplexing will be used to decide how often a particular PID appears in the transport stream. In the present invention the PID can verify Block 100 in
Today, the transport stream has a concept of programs. Each single program is described by a Program Map Table (PMT) which has a unique PID, and the elementary streams associated with that program have PIDs listed in the PMT. For example, a transport stream used in digital television might contain three programs, to represent three television channels.
To support the present invention, each channel could consist of one video stream, one or two audio streams, aroma stream and any necessary metadata. As shown in
In
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
As illustrated in
Referring to
In the illustrated embodiment, an actuating mechanism (94) is operationally engaged through (84) to emit scent from each scent unit shown in
In this invention, a particular aroma can consist of one or more scent units (80) that need to be dispersed one time as shown in
In alternative embodiments, the recorded program can be stored on a storage media such as a hard drive or a special DVD. A storage media player located within the viewer's home operationally configured to read the storage media containing the synchronized video, sound and aroma data stream would be in communication with the decoder 50 shown in
Alternatively, the system can be configured without a mixing and dispersing chamber as shown in
In this system, as shown in
Claims
1. A method of delivery of aroma signals incorporated into a transmission of a recorded program to be displayed upon a multi-media device, the method comprising:
- generating a recording of a video data stream for each scene in the recorded program in a digital format;
- generating a recording of a sound data stream that corresponds to video data stream for each scene in the recorded program in a digital format;
- capturing the aroma smells through sensors;
- based upon the sensors, generating a recording of an aroma data stream that corresponds to both the video data stream and the sound data stream that corresponds to for each scene in the recorded program in a digital format;
- synchronizing in real-time the aroma data stream within the video and sound data stream wherein a merged data stream is formed for each scene of the recorded program;
- incorporating the merged data stream into an encoded digital transmission protocol wherein an encoded recorded program data stream is formed;
- transmitting an electronic signal on a communication medium that represents the encoded recorded program data stream;
- retrieving the electronic signal from the communication medium;
- decoding the electronic signal into the encoded recorded program data stream;
- decoding the aroma data stream from the encoded recorded program data stream;
- activating a control device containing a plurality of aroma scent units configured to emit scents;
- for each scene in the encoded recorded program data stream transmitting to the control device a data control sequence that represents a real-time aroma embedded therein; and
- synchronizing real-time emission of scents from the plurality of aroma scent units based upon the data control sequence by the control device wherein the viewer senses the aroma while watching the recorded program on a multimedia device.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the activating step further comprising:
- determining a combination of scents that represents an aroma in the scene of the recorded program;
- channeling each scent within the combination of scents into an enclosed mixing chamber within the control device wherein the aroma is formed from the combination of scents; and
- upon mixture of the combination of scents within the enclosed mixing chamber, channeling the aroma scents from the enclosed mixing chamber through a dispersing chamber wherein the aroma is dispersed from the control unit into the atmosphere from the multi-media device.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
- upon completion of the viewing of the recorded program by a user, activating a filtration unit operationally mounded within the control unit wherein the aroma is removed from the atmosphere.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein activating the filtration unit further comprises emitting into the atmosphere a chemical that neutralizes the aroma.
5. The method of claim 3 wherein activating the filtration unit further comprises retrieving from the atmosphere the aroma wherein the aroma is neutralized.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein generating a recording of an aroma data stream further comprises:
- providing chemical sensors that automatically determine an aroma during recording of the video and sound data stream;
- generating a measurement pattern based upon information captured by the chemical sensors; and
7. A system for delivery of aroma signals incorporated into a recorded program to be displayed upon a multi-media device, the system comprising:
- a recorder for generating a video data stream for each in the recorded program;
- a recorder for generating a sound data stream for each scene in the recorded program corresponding to the video data stream;
- means for generating an aroma data stream for the recorded program that corresponds to both the video and the sound data stream;
- means for synchronizing and merging the aroma data stream within the video and sound data stream wherein the video data stream, the sound data stream and the aroma data stream are encoded into a data stream of the recorded program;
- means for transmitting the encoded data stream of the recorded program onto a communication medium in a data transmission protocol format;
- means for capturing the encoded data stream for the communication medium; means for generating a data control sequence that represents an aroma in a scene of the recorded program based upon the encoded data stream captured by the retrieving unit; and
- means for transmitting the data control sequence to a particular aroma scent unit designated in the control sequence wherein the aroma of the scene is recreated in real-time while the viewer is watching the recorded program on the multi-media device.
8. The system of claim 6 further comprising:
- upon completion of the viewing of the recorded program by a user, means for the activating a filtration unit that is operationally mounted within the control unit wherein the aroma is removed from the atmosphere;
9. The system of claim 6 further comprising:
- chemical sensors that automatically determine an aroma during recording of the video and sound data stream;
- means for generating a measurement pattern based upon information captured by the chemical sensors; and
- means for generating the aroma data stream based upon the measurement pattern.
10. The system for delivery of an aroma of a recorded program, the system comprising:
- an electronic media containing video, sound, and aroma electronic signals merged and synchronized into an encoded data stream that represents each scene of the recorded program;
- a player configured to read the electronic media;
- a decoder in electronic communication with the player wherein the encoded data stream aroma electronic signals for each scene of the recorded program are retrieved;
- a control unit in electronic communication with the decoder wherein the aroma electronic signals are sent thereto;
- the control unit in electronic communications with each aroma scent unit wherein the for each scene in the encoded recorded program data stream a control sequence is sent thereto.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 6, 2014
Publication Date: Aug 6, 2015
Patent Grant number: 9445040
Inventor: Ricardo Roosevelt Watson (Missouri City, TX)
Application Number: 14/174,667